Summer is truly over and autumn is here.  There is something comforting about this season, the warm muted tones, knitted wear, boots, all around cosiness. I have already turned my wardrobe around. But turning my wardrobe around is not the only new change that has occurred for me. Your girl is back to school. Well, I suppose I Should say, I have finally decided to go to university.

WORK

As some of you may already be aware by my Five-year Gap post, I went straight into work after college (A-levels). I was originally meant to study Bio-medical Science, but I had to get straight with myself. I mean who was I kidding, Science was not my strongest suit, I didn’t enjoy the subject, I wasn’t doing it for myself. But most importantly it was the easy route to take. Yes, it was not my strongest subject but I knew if I applied myself I will do ok if not well. I had fallen into the narrative that there is no point going into university to study a subject that you can’t find a job in when you’re done.  We all know, they tell you to do what you love, so you go and do just that, and when you’re done nada, just empty checks, thousands of jobs application, and massive student debt staring back at you.  Since I did not want to fall prey to this, I thought I would go into a field with a higher guarantee of progress into the working world.

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

For me, this was a crucial point. I had to sit myself down and have a full-on conversation. And from that conversation, I suppose you can deduce by now what the results were. I knew that I wanted to go to university, but I wanted to do it knowing exactly what I wanted, with the determination of not only doing well but being able to work in a field that I have a passion for.  In all honesty, I would like to say that waiting for a while before going to university was what I wanted; but it wasn’t, nowhere in my plans did I envision taking a gap year, let alone five. But while we have our plans, God also has his. I had my fair share of disappointment, anxiety about getting older, the struggle about getting back on my academic head, all that and then some.

FIVE YEARS ON

So now Fast forward five years, here I am, preparing to attend my first class, nervous and excited about this new chapter in my life. In all honesty, the wait wasn’t easy for me. But it was a season, where I learned a lot about myself. I was able to grow as a person, change and pursue other things. I travelled, worked with a diverse group of people, worked in different cities and countries as well as making some financial investment with the property market.

LET’S DO THIS

So if you are wondering why I am sharing all of this with you, I want you to encourage anyone who feels like they are not on the path that they think they should be on. Sometimes Life doesn’t always go to plan and that is ok. It may take you longer or shorter. If you completed college this year and you didn’t get the grades that you wanted or the university that you wanted, it doesn’t mean that it is the end. You just need to take practical steps towards achieving whatever it is that you want.  Last but not least, don’t fall prey into taking a path just to please your parents or others. Because there is one thing that I know, if you do things for others that are not in your heart, you eventually grow to resent them. For my “mature” students like me, you know you are about to slay this, become deaf to all the negativity around you and just know you can do it.